Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe Outlines Creative Plan To Reduce Phone Use At Shows

Mobile phone use remains a controversial issue in live music, with acts like Tool, Jack White, and Placebo all but banning their fans from using phones at their shows.

While it must be tempting to do the same, Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe has a different idea: what if he did what we do when we stare at our phones, bringing the energy right down and performing like that?

In a new interview on Kyle Meredith With… on Consequence Of Sound, Blythe explains that he views interactions between himself, the performer, and his audience as “a massive form of communication”, and he still gets the “same energy” from a crowd that’s into the music.

But when an audience isn’t there to enjoy the show, Blythe has a problem. “Put your freakin’ phones down and be present,” the Memento Mori vocalist said. “I haven’t done this yet, but I’m going to.”

Outlining his creative new plan to combat phone usage at Lamb Of God shows, he explained: “I’m going to walk out one day at a particularly phone-driven show, and I’m gonna bring a stool, and I’m gonna set it down in the middle of the stage after a song or two, and then I’m going to turn on my phone, and I’m gonna point it at the audience, and I’m gonna sit there, and I’m gonna sing a whole song.

“I’m not gonna move. I’m gonna do what they do. And then at the end, I’m gonna say, ‘Did you people enjoy that? No? I didn’t either. So why don’t we be here together? Put your freakin’ phone down.’”

Asking fans to continue to “be here” with music, Blythe added that he wasn’t making a point so people feel sympathy for him but to maintain the relationship between artists and their audiences.

“I’m not asking for sympathy, like, ‘Poor Randy, he feels bad.’ But, yeah, the relationship is missing,” he said. “And I want a relationship with the audience. Because the harder you go, the harder I’m gonna go. The more you look at the phone, the more I wanna sit on a stool and film you. And it’s gonna happen one day.”

Blythe then revealed that he’s wanted to ban phones at shows, but “My band probably wouldn’t be down with it.

“I’d be totally great if there were no cell phones,” he said. “Because these things are warping the shape of our reality in a horrific way across the board.”

You can listen to the entire interview here.

Lamb Of God returned to Australia in March for Knotfest Australia, which was co-headlined by Pantera and Disturbed. They also played two sideshows in Melbourne and Brisbane with special guests Brand Of Sacrifice.

You can check out their Knotfest setlist here.